1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to support devices for use in treating patients. More specifically, the present invention is directed to such support devices which support the torso and/or the head of the patient.
2. Description of Related Art
In the fields of radiology and surgery there has been no product to allow a patient to lie face down for extended periods of time in relative comfort, to allow a practitioner such as a doctor or technician to accurately position the head and spine of the patient, and offer good radiolucency for better viewing of internal structures when x-rays are taken. Patients are typically asked to lie face down for extended periods with their heads turned to one side which is generally uncomfortable.
Some products are designed to more comfortably position the patients, but lack sufficient air flow or the ability to lower the shoulders out of the path of the x-rays. This lowers the image quality and adversely affects the practitioner""s ability to see the internal structures well. These products also do not offer firm enough vertical support to the patient so that during procedures that require application of moderate vertical pressure on the patient, the patient is readily displaced downward thus making the practitioner""s task more difficult.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved support device which avoids the limitations of the prior art. In this regard, one embodiment of the present invention supports patients in a way which supports comfortable breathing through superior airflow around the face and minimizes post surgical soft tissue complications caused by extended periods of uncomfortable positioning. This embodiment also minimizes the degradation of x-ray images associated with other devices presently on the market by extensively using radiolucent materials and by allowing the patient to position the arms and shoulders out of the way of the x-ray. In one embodiment of the present invention, multitude of cervical positioning options for patients is made possible and in addition, height of the pad of the head support is also adjustable to give the practitioner more options for arm positioning. This increases the quality of lateral views of the spine, which presently are of poor quality due to the inability to lower the shoulders out of the way.
The above noted advantages and others are attained by a support device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention including a substantially rigid support plate, a headrest supported on the support plate, the headrest being adapted to support the user""s head, and a support pad at least partially supported on the support plate, the support pad being adapted to support the user""s torso. In accordance with one embodiment, the support plate includes at least one hand support region and is made of a substantially radiolucent material.
In another embodiment, the headrest includes a headrest pad which is made of a substantially radiolucent material. The headrest of one embodiment is supported on the support plate by an articulating support assembly that allows articulation of the headrest relative to the support plate, the articulating support assembly being preferably made of a substantially radiolucent material. In one preferred embodiment, the articulating support assembly includes a support member that is lockably secured to a first support rod via a first lock lever, the first support rod being lockably secured to a mounting post secured to the support plate via a second lock lever.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a support pad for supporting torso of a user with enhanced comfort is provided, the support pad including a center pad, two side pads, and a stomach pad where the center pad has a durometer/compliance which is stiffer than the two side pads. In this regard, in another embodiment, the stomach pad has a durometer/compliance which is substantially the same as that of the center pad and the plurality of separate pads are joined together. In addition, the support pad may also include a bottom pad.
In accordance with one embodiment, the center pad has a substantially triangular cross sectional profile with sloped surfaces and the two side pads each have substantially triangular cross sectional profile with at least one sloped surface which are adhered to the sloped surfaces of the center pad. In addition, the stomach pad preferably has a wedge shape having an inclined surface which is angled approximately 20 degrees.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.